JU war cry #hokkolorob was born in Bangladesh

Singer Sahana Bajpaie on how Hok kolorob — Jadavpur University’s war cry — was born in Bangladesh
Some words quickly fade into silence, while some, become history. And such was the fate of two words conceived on the streets of Dhaka in 2004. Hok kolorob (#hokkolorob) are no longer the words Rajib Ashraf recited over tea and snacks at an adda in the Bangladesh capital 10 years ago; they now embody the soul of the student agitation sweeping through Kolkata campuses and streets in the wake of the September 17 police brutality on peaceful protesters at Jadavpur University.Even social media is brimming over with the hashtag #hokkolorob, echoing the united voice of city students through the internet, and in turn, the world.
Discussing the origins of the words, singer Sahana Bajpaie told us from London, “Most think that Shayan (Arnob), being a singer-songwriter, writes his own songs. That’s all bulls**t. He has written a couple of songs alright, but Hok kolorob was penned by Rajib. The latter used to write poems and he read it out to Arnob after waking him up in the middle of the night. He took an immediate liking to it and composed the song in a few days. Later, the song was used in the album titled Hok Kolorob in 2006.”
Sahana, who lived in Dhaka between 2000 and 2007 and was married to popular Bangladeshi singer Arnob at that point in time, knows both friends from close quarters.
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She said Hok kolorob, though not written in any particular context, challenged all things conventional. The lines go like — Hok kolorob phool gulo shob nil na hoye lal holo kyan/Oshombhobe kokhon kobe megher sathe mil holo kyan. “Rajib was always very fond of nonsense rhyming and there was no context to this song. Being a nonconformist, all he wanted to say through his lines is that it’s time we made some noise against the traditional way of looking at life,” she added. The London-based singer is aware of the student movement that has now taken the shape of a nationwide protest, as she was in Kolkata a couple of weeks back. “Students are generally thought to be naïve and busy with their own little worries. But it’s not good to take this generation for granted. I’m proud that Hok kolorob — though coming from the other side of the border — has become the war cry of this movement,” she said.
Sahana, who, too, had penned the lyrics of a few songs in Arnob’s 2006 album, added, “Arnob’s first album catered mostly to a niche group of listeners, but Hok Kolorob went on to become a runaway hit. Even kids on the road would hum the tunes. Our friend Taufiq from Bengal, too, had written a couple of songs,” she said. But Sahana is not one to let misconceptions linger. “But the fact is; this line is not by Arnob. I believe in one thing: give credit where due,” she signed off.